Water Walking
| rarity = Common | type = Unit Enchantment | casting_cost = | upkeep_cost = | research_cost = | effects = Allows a unit to move through Ocean tiles. }} Water Walking is a Common Unit Enchantment belonging to the realm. For it may be cast on a unit on the overland map to allow that unit to move through Ocean tiles. The spell must then be maintained with a per turn Upkeep Cost. Effects Water Walking allows Walking units to move through Ocean tiles as though they were land. It also allows the unit to participate in combat taking place in Ocean tiles. Water Walking Effect The Water Walking spell's effect on a unit is very simple: It allows that unit to move freely through Ocean tiles on the overland map. In other words, if the unit was previously unable to cross Ocean tiles, it now can do so. Movement through Ocean tiles costs 1 Movement Point per tile by default - the same as Walking across Grassland tiles. Water Walking does not affect the unit's speed of movement, whether inside or outside of combat, leaving it unchanged. The spell only affects where this unit can and cannot go. Walking units that have Water Walking cast upon them may also participate in combat on Ocean tiles as though they were ordinary Swimming units. Note that the spell may be cast on units that can already move across Ocean tiles, such as Flying or Swimming units. In such a case, the Water Walking effect is added to the unit's statistics, but the unit doesn't gain any actual benefits from it. Water Walking is considered inferior to Flying, as the unit will still require a hefty number of movement points for crossing rough terrain such as Forests and Mountains - whereas Flying units cross any tile for only 1 Movement Point. Also, Flying gives units a combat advantage when fighting non-Flying units. Also note that Water Walking only affects one specific unit. Other units in the same stack, if any, do not receive the ability to move across oceans. Thus, to move an entire stack of Walking units across water, it is necessary to enchant all units in the stack with this spell (or similar ones granting the same ability). If the Water Walking enchantment is dispelled while the unit is over an Ocean tile, the unit will drown immediately (i.e. destroyed) - unless its innate abilities (or other Unit Enchantments cast upon it) still allow it to traverse across Oceans. The same applies when Water Walking is dispelled during combat. Usage Water Walking may only be cast on the overland map, for the Casting Cost of . Its effect is continuous, but requires an Upkeep Cost of per turn to maintain. Failure to pay this Upkeep Cost due to lack of Mana will cause the spell to dissipate - with possible disastrous effects (read above). However, as long as the spell is paid for (and not dispelled by any rival Wizard), the unit continues to enjoy the Water Walking effect. Like all other Unit Enchantments, Water Walking must targeted at a friendly unit. If the desired target is in an army stack, click on that stack to get a list of units inside it, and then select your desired unit. Once the spell is in effect, the unit will glow with a aura, unless there is a more powerful spell also affecting it. If you've placed Water Walking on a unit, you may remove it by examining the unit's details and clicking the Enchantment's icon. The primary reason to do this would be in order to remove the spell's Upkeep Cost, thus conserving for other spells. Acquisition As a Common spell, Water Walking may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least one Spellbook. However, its availability during the game is not guaranteed unless the Wizard acquires at least Spellbooks. Customized Wizards possessing up to Spellbooks at creation time may choose this spell as one of their default spells before starting the game, in which case the spell will already be researched and available for casting immediately on the first turn. Wizards with Spellbooks are guaranteed to have this spell available for casting as soon as the game begins. Wizards with or fewer Spellbooks who have not chosen Water Walking as a guaranteed spell have a random chance of being able to Research it. The chance for this spell to appear increases with the number of Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay. With Spellbooks, the spell is guaranteed to appear for Research if it is not already available for casting. Water Walking has a base Research Cost of . With at least Spellbook, the Water Walking spell may be acquired as a reward for winning encounters in creature Lairs, Towers, et cetera, or when conquering the Fortress of a rival wizard who has already researched this spell. Strategy Water Walking gives an excellent way to create units which can explore across the ocean early in the game, or sent to attack Towns or other assets far away. Later on, several Water Walking units (and additional Flying and/or Swimming units) can band together to make surprise attacks at enemy assets across an ocean, conquer islands, and so forth. Known Bugs Casting Water Walking on a unit that is Non-Corporeal, or can naturally , will enable it to carry one unit along on Oceans on the overland map before the Unofficial Patch 1.50. In fact, each such unit counts as 2 for determining whether the stack can move over water or not, so having 4 actually allows ferrying along 4 troops at a time. Category:Unit Enchantments Category:Nature Category:Unit Movement